IllustrationGASKET THAT SEALS THE GAS LINE TO GAS PUMP BECAME LOOSE AND CAUSED FUEL TO SPRAY ONTO ENGINE BLOCK, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. ANOTHER VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER WILL REPLACE THE GASKET AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1996 Saturn Sw
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Saturn Sw do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 20.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sw years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 20 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
20 reportsWRONG SPARK PLUG INSTALLED CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITANTLY.
WRONG GAS PLUGS WERE INSTALLED IN VEHICLE DURING MANUFACTURING. PROBLEM CAUSED STALLING AND OTHER PROBLEMS. *AK
DESIGN OF HORN LOCATION MAKE IT HARD TO LOCATED THE HORN WHEN NEEDED.
SPARK PLUG FAILURE.
SPEED CONTROL: DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY, ATTEMPTING TO EXIT ON A OFF RAMP, TRIED TO TURN THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF, CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT GO OFF, COULD NOT BRAKE. EXITED OFF RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, WENT THROUGH STOP SIGN, ENTERED ANOTHER HIGHWAY, HIT CURB AND MEDIAN, AND VEHICLE STOPPED. *AK *NLM
BRAKE PADS WORN OUT.
HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS LOCATED ON THE TIP OF THE TURN SIGNAL; OCASSIONALLY WHEN PUSHING TURN SIGNAL TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, INADVERTANTLY HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF. *AK
ABS: WHEN APPLYING BRAKES DURING PANIC STOPPING, WHEELS LOCK UP, VEHICLE SKIDS, FISHTAILS, REAREND OF VEHICLE SPUNS OUT, CAUSING MODERATE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, NO WARNING, THREE OCCURRENCES, SPEED 30 TO 35 MPH. *AK
VEHICLE MISALIGNMENT CAUSING VIBRATION/TIRE WEAR.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.